Sanctions begin taking a bigger toll on Iran
The West's campaign to punish Iran for its suspected nuclear weapons program has begun to inflict far more damage on Tehran's economy in recent weeks, spurring a new phase of a dispute that carries acute risks as well as opportunities for the United States and its allies.
Fear of potentially crippling new economic sanctions have helped send the Iranian currency into a tailspin, drive basic commodity and import prices sharply higher, and spark runs on Iranian banks.
As the United States and European Union prepare steps designed to cut the oil revenue that is the Islamic Republic's chief source of income, Iran has responded with threats of military retaliation, including warnings that it might close the Strait of Hormuz, a lifeline for oil and gas shipments from the Persian Gulf. Though Iran would suffer in a blockade of the strait, it appears to be gambling that the West has more to lose.
In the latest sign of mounting tensions, Iran's Revolutionary Guard announced Monday that it had sentenced Amir Mirzaei Hekmati, a former U.S. Marine of Iranian descent, to death for allegedly spying for the CIA. The White House denied that Hekmati was a spy and demanded his release.
More at: http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-iran-obama-20120110,0,134568.story